Turning to the saline sea for a livelihood

Published: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 14, 2014 at 1:04 p.m.

After harnessing fire, few developments in human culinary history have surpassed the significance of mastering the myriad uses of salt. Neolithic sites dating to 6,000 B.C. show evidence of mankind's earliest efforts to harvest the versatile mineral.

With uses both preservative and pleasurable, finding reliable sources for the substance has long occupied entrepreneurial ambitions. And with the launch of her Wrightsville Beach business Sea Love, Amanda Jacobs is the latest area resident turning to the saline sea for a livelihood.

A salty history

At one point, wrote scholars Isabel Williams and Leora McEachern in their 1973 book "Salt: That Necessary Article," the industry was a huge component of the Lower Cape Fear's economy. Worth an estimated $8 million in 1863, over 100 private facilities existed alongside the massive State Salt Works near Myrtle Grove Sound.

For Jacobs, it'll take a lot of Etsy sales, an online marketplace for handcrafted goods and her main avenue for distribution, to hit that level. But with a booth at the Poplar Grove Farmers' Market and shelf space in a couple of area stores, the 37-year-old academic with a Ph.D. in education is bullish enough on the prospect that she's at least partially abandoned her former career.

"I moved here from upstate New York in July and couldn't find work. I imagined teaching at UNCW, but I guess a lot of people imagine that," she said of the competitive job market. "A friend joked that I should start a salt business, and after doing some research, I did. I'm no longer job hunting, and this is so much better."

Keeping it local

At its peak, the 220-acre State Salt Works produced 8,500 50-pound bushels per day, mostly distributed to the poor and families of Civil War soldiers. The facility was partially destroyed during an attack 150 years ago on April 21, 1864, with production later halted completely by Confederate Maj. Gen. William H.C. Whiting.

Sea Love's capacity is currently capped at around seven pounds per week, with a five-gallon bucket used to fill a dozen glass baking pans, which yield 10 ounces of delicate crystals each. Jacobs pulls the water from a spot very close to the Stone Street location where the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program conducts testing, assuring a safe product, she said.

With interest in all-things-local at a fevered pitch across the country, Jacobs anticipates a need to upgrade her facilities sooner rather than later. Currently using a petite shelf outside the Oceanic Street apartment she shares with her husband, Jacobs is hunting for real estate to build a greenhouse or other structure that can hold closer to 250 pans.

"There are some days where I'm literally just sitting there waiting for it to dry," she said of the salt, which forms faster under bright sunlight. "The Weather Channel has taken on a whole new meaning for me."

A national trend

Jacobs isn't alone in reviving the salty tradition, which fell off after the war in the Wilmington area. With famous cooks on TV shows dropping a healthy dose of fine "finishing salts" atop their masterpieces before serving, the demand only appears to be growing, and entrepreneurs are responding.

Ben Jacobsen of Jacobsen Salt has built a highly regarded business (and a who's who roster of James-Beard award-winning chefs who used his products) with crystals extracted from the coastal Oregon waters where he lives.

"Salt is an affordable luxury. A $40 or $50 bottle of wine can be delicious, but in my house it's also gone in under an hour," Jacobsen said. "A $15 package of salt you can enjoy for two months. You don't need a lot, and using good salt is absolutely the best way to elevate food."

Jacobsen was a forerunner in the new wave of artisanal producers when he began two and a half years ago. He said it isn't an easy craft to master.

"One thing I learned, it's really easy to make bad salt," Jacobsen said. "Anybody can fill a kiddy pool with water and make salt, but for high-end culinary use, it's tricky."

Back at Wrightsville Beach, Jacobs experienced similar results with early batches. Rather than scrapping the goods, she mixed the salt with sugar, coconut and other aromatics to make a body scrub product.

With a process that's been refined over the past five months, she's now consistently seeing results that she feels comfortable handing to area chefs in the form of samples, and she hopes to have her product in their kitchens soon.

As for taste, Jacobs said Wrightsville Beach has a distinct flavor of its own she can recognize when pitted against other fine salts. An avid cook, she once had a pantry full of salts from around the globe, but has significantly pared back the collection.

"I don't have any other salts in my house," she said. "Once, I sold all my inventory and didn't have anything left for dinner."

<p>After harnessing fire, few developments in human culinary history have surpassed the significance of mastering the myriad uses of salt. Neolithic sites dating to 6,000 B.C. show evidence of mankind's earliest efforts to harvest the versatile mineral.</p><p>With uses both preservative and pleasurable, finding reliable sources for the substance has long occupied entrepreneurial ambitions. And with the launch of her Wrightsville Beach business Sea Love, Amanda Jacobs is the latest area resident turning to the saline sea for a livelihood.</p><p><b>A salty history</b></p><p>At one point, wrote scholars Isabel Williams and Leora McEachern in their 1973 book "Salt: That Necessary Article," the industry was a huge component of the Lower Cape Fear's economy. Worth an estimated $8 million in 1863, over 100 private facilities existed alongside the massive State Salt Works near Myrtle Grove Sound. </p><p>For Jacobs, it'll take a lot of Etsy sales, an online marketplace for handcrafted goods and her main avenue for distribution, to hit that level. But with a booth at the Poplar Grove Farmers' Market and shelf space in a couple of area stores, the 37-year-old academic with a Ph.D. in education is bullish enough on the prospect that she's at least partially abandoned her former career. </p><p>"I moved here from upstate New York in July and couldn't find work. I imagined teaching at <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic71"><b>UNCW</b></a>, but I guess a lot of people imagine that," she said of the competitive job market. "A friend joked that I should start a salt business, and after doing some research, I did. I'm no longer job hunting, and this is so much better."</p><p><b>Keeping it local</b></p><p>At its peak, the 220-acre State Salt Works produced 8,500 50-pound bushels per day, mostly distributed to the poor and families of <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/TOPIC9951"><b>Civil War</b></a> soldiers. The facility was partially destroyed during an attack 150 years ago on April 21, 1864, with production later halted completely by Confederate Maj. Gen. William H.C. Whiting.</p><p>Sea Love's capacity is currently capped at around seven pounds per week, with a five-gallon bucket used to fill a dozen glass baking pans, which yield 10 ounces of delicate crystals each. Jacobs pulls the water from a spot very close to the Stone Street location where the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program conducts testing, assuring a safe product, she said.</p><p>With interest in all-things-local at a fevered pitch across the country, Jacobs anticipates a need to upgrade her facilities sooner rather than later. Currently using a petite shelf outside the Oceanic Street apartment she shares with her husband, Jacobs is hunting for real estate to build a greenhouse or other structure that can hold closer to 250 pans. </p><p>"There are some days where I'm literally just sitting there waiting for it to dry," she said of the salt, which forms faster under bright sunlight. "The Weather Channel has taken on a whole new meaning for me."</p><p><b>A national trend</b></p><p>Jacobs isn't alone in reviving the salty tradition, which fell off after the war in the Wilmington area. With famous cooks on TV shows dropping a healthy dose of fine "finishing salts" atop their masterpieces before serving, the demand only appears to be growing, and entrepreneurs are responding.</p><p>Ben Jacobsen of Jacobsen Salt has built a highly regarded business (and a who's who roster of James-Beard award-winning chefs who used his products) with crystals extracted from the coastal Oregon waters where he lives. </p><p>"Salt is an affordable luxury. A $40 or $50 bottle of wine can be delicious, but in my house it's also gone in under an hour," Jacobsen said. "A $15 package of salt you can enjoy for two months. You don't need a lot, and using good salt is absolutely the best way to elevate food."</p><p>Jacobsen was a forerunner in the new wave of artisanal producers when he began two and a half years ago. He said it isn't an easy craft to master. </p><p>"One thing I learned, it's really easy to make bad salt," Jacobsen said. "Anybody can fill a kiddy pool with water and make salt, but for high-end culinary use, it's tricky." </p><p>Back at Wrightsville Beach, Jacobs experienced similar results with early batches. Rather than scrapping the goods, she mixed the salt with sugar, coconut and other aromatics to make a body scrub product. </p><p>With a process that's been refined over the past five months, she's now consistently seeing results that she feels comfortable handing to area chefs in the form of samples, and she hopes to have her product in their kitchens soon.</p><p>As for taste, Jacobs said Wrightsville Beach has a distinct flavor of its own she can recognize when pitted against other fine salts. An avid cook, she once had a pantry full of salts from around the globe, but has significantly pared back the collection. </p><p>"I don't have any other salts in my house," she said. "Once, I sold all my inventory and didn't have anything left for dinner."</p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9919"><b>Paul Stephen</b></a>: 343-2041</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @pauljstephen</p>